DMZ Peace Train Music Festival

DMZ Peace Train Music Festival is a music festival held in Cheorwon County, Gangwon Province, South Korea. It is held close to the border with North Korea, and is intended to promote peace and unification at a place symbolizing division of the Korean Peninsula.[1] It was held as relations between the two Koreas warmed up.[2]

DMZ Peace Train Music Festival
Cha-Cha formerly of Korean punk band No Brain and Glen Matlock formerly of UK punk band Sex Pistols perform together at DMZ Peace Train Festival 2018 on June 24 in Cheorwon County.
GenreRock, Alternative rock, Indie rock, World music, Punk rock, Electronic music, Folk music
DatesJune 5-9, 2019
Location(s)Cheorwon, South Korea
Years active2018 - present
WebsiteDMZ Peace Train Music Festival

Hosted by Seoul City, Cheorwon County, and Gangwon Province, the event was created when Glastonbury Festival and The Great Escape Festival main booker Martin Elbourne visited Korea in 2017 and visited the DMZ with Zandari Festa organizers Dalse Kong Yoon-young and Lee Dong-yeon. Elbourne returned in January 2018 and convinced Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, Gangwon Governor Choi Moon-soon and Culture Minister Do Jong-hwan to fund the festival.[3] In 2019 the event has additional sponsorship support from the Korea Tourism Organization. The festival is managed domestically, while Elbourne serves on the advisory committee alongside Stephen Budd of Africa Express and Martin Goldschmidt of Cooking Vinyl.[4]

Location

The festival was held in various locations in Seoul and Cheorwon in its first two years. Seminars were held at Seoul's Platform Changdong 61, June 21-22, prior to the main festival days. On June 23-24, Goseokjeong Pavilion in Cheorwon right outside the DMZ served as the main venue for the free festival, with smaller limited-access events held within the DMZ at Woljeong-ri Station and the ruins of the Workers' Party of Korea headquarters. Some participants took the DMZ Train to Cheorwon for a special program.[5][6]

For 2019, DMZ Peace Train Music Festival was held on June 5-9 at Goseokjeong, as well as around the ruins of the former headquarters of the Workers’ Party of Korea as well as near Woljeong-ri Station and Soisan mountain.[7] Talks were held at Platform Changdong 61 on June 5 and 6.[8][9]

North Korea was alerted about the festival so the noise would not be misunderstood.[10]

Contrary to many participants' expectations, they reported the festival was light-hearted and the location peaceful.[11]

Tickets

The first year was free entry, with 12,000 attendees RSVPing their attendance.[12] For the second year, tickets are being sold in order to help the local economy and prevent no-shows. Festivalgoers receive vouchers equivalent to the ticket price which may be redeemed at local businesses.[13]

Line-ups

2018

Sex Pistols founding bassist Glen Matlock made headlines when he agreed to perform the festival, requesting organisers only cover his airfare.[14][15] Matlock performed solo, as well as with Korean punk bands Crying Nut and No Brain member Cha-Cha.[16][17]

It was reported the organizers wanted to invite North Korean musicians to perform, although that ended up not happening.[18]

Saturday, June 23
Sunday, June 24

2019

The second festival took place during a stall in US-DPRK negotiations.[19]

The number of foreign acts increased from 12 to 17. Seoul Community Radio hosted a new dance stage at the event.[20][21]

Former Velvet Underground member John Cale was announced as one of the foreign headliners, along with Korean-Chinese rock legend Cui Jian and Seun Kuti, son of Nigerian musician Fela Kuti, and Danish punk band Iceage.[22] Additionally two former North Koreans performed: pianist Kim Cheol-woong and Korean-Japanese producer DJ Little Big Bee, who was banned from visiting South Korea until recently.[23]

The following performed in the main festival site at Goseokjeong.

Friday, June 7
Saturday, June 8
Sunday, June 9

There were also special performances held at more sensitive locations within the DMZ, including a 10-person band featuring indie musicians and dancers inspired by military music.[24]

Friday, June 7 1600 Soisan Mountain
  • Yoon Jae-won
Friday, June 7 1900 Workers' Party HQ
  • Kim Sa-wol X Kim Hae-won
  • Kim Ji-won (of Billy Carter)
  • Baik Hyun-jin
  • Ambiguous Dance Company
Saturday, June 8 1300 Woljeongri Station
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See also

References
  1. Sherwin, Adam (8 May 2018). "Glastonbury curator launches new DMZ "peace festival" in Korea's Demilitarized Zone". Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  2. Turner, Ashley (5 July 2018). "Sex Pistols' Glen Matlock Played a Music Festival Organized at the Korean Demilitarized Zone". Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  3. Dunbar, Jon (19 June 2018). "Anarchy in the DMZ: music fest rocks for peace". The Korea Times. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  4. Dunbar, Jon (23 April 2019). "Legendary lineup comes together for DMZ music festival 2019". The Korea Times. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  5. Carratura, Vincenzo Acampora (7 August 2018). "Give Peace a Chance: the DMZ Peace Train Festival". Korean Culture and Information Service. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  6. "On board Korea's peace train at the DMZ". BBC News. 25 June 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  7. Im, Eun-byel (24 February 2019). "Near barbed wire fences of NK, music festival to sing for peace". Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  8. Park, Soo-hyuk (25 February 2019). "DMZ Peace Train Music Festival to be held near former WKP headquarters in Cheorwon County". Hankyoreh. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  9. Kim, Eun-young (28 May 2019). "Second DMZ music festival to promote peace on Korean Peninsula". Retrieved 7 August 2019.
  10. Courtney, Ian (4 May 2018). "DMZ Peace Train Music Festival In The Works For South Korea". Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  11. Maresca, Thomas (10 June 2019). "International music festival sends message of peace at DMZ". Retrieved 7 August 2019.
  12. Dunbar, Jon (19 June 2018). "Anarchy in the DMZ: music fest rocks for peace". The Korea Times. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  13. Park, Soo-hyuk (25 February 2019). "DMZ Peace Train Music Festival to be held near former WKP headquarters in Cheorwon County". Hankyoreh. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  14. "Sex Pistols' ex-member says whole world is rooting for Koreas to improve ties". Yonhap News. 21 June 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  15. "Global Pop Stars Make Beeline for Inter-Korean Border". Chosun Ilbo. 7 June 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  16. Greene, Andy (5 July 2018). "A Sex Pistol Goes to the North Korean Border". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  17. Dunbar, Jon (9 June 2018). "[Korea by scooter] Anarchy in the DMZ". The Korea Times. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  18. Hong, Dam-young (27 March 2018). "North Koreans may perform at DMZ music fest in June". Korea Herald. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  19. Salmon, Andrew (11 June 2019). "'DMZ Peace Train' raises rock 'n' roll thunder". Retrieved 7 August 2019.
  20. Bruce-Jones, Henry (5 June 2019). "Seoul Community Radio to host stage at DMZ Peace Train Music Festival". Retrieved 7 August 2019.
  21. Maicki, Salvatore (4 June 2019). "Iceage, John Cale, and more to play in Korean Demilitarized Zone". Retrieved 7 August 2019.
  22. Kim, Michelle (4 June 2019). "Iceage to Perform at the Korean Demilitarized Zone". Retrieved 7 August 2019.
  23. "Korea | DMZ Peace Train Music Festival 2019". Asia-Europe Foundation. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
  24. Suh, Jung-min (10 June 2019). "[Reportage] Celebrating peace in a land of war and division".

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